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The Parliament logjam continued into the fifth day with the Opposition insisting on the formation of a

The Parliament logjam continued into the fifth day with the Opposition insisting on the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the 2G spectrum scam, and the Congress refusing to budge. The party also rallied behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has now become the target of the Opposition.

AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said: "The party had stood, is standing and will stand by him. No one doubts the integrity of our Prime Minister."

His remarks came in wake of the Opposition's call for the PM to explain why sanction hadn't been given to prosecute former telecom minister A. Raja. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the CAG report was "riddled with contradictions" and the Supreme Court's observations on the PM are not binding instructions.

"It is not a stricture by any stretch of imagination... the Supreme Court has merely asked for a clarification and the government has said that since the court wants it on an affidavit, it will be filed," Tewari said.

The Congress questioned the presumptive loss to the exchequer assessed by the CAG in the 2G spectrum allotment claiming that a defaulter company was used to compute the amount of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

Flaying the CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation which had cost Raja his job, Tewari said the CAG had used S Tel as a benchmark to compute a presumptive loss to exchequer. "The same report finds S Tel as a defaulter. Therefore, to use a defaulter company as a benchmark to calculate a presumptive loss, I hold my opinion that... the report requires a detailed study," Tewari said.

He also claimed that several observations made in the report contradict each other. "Therefore, a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is the best means to go into the CAG report where a para by para study will be made," he said.

The Congress core comprising the PM, party president Sonia Gandhi, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P. Chdiambaram, defence minister A.K. Antony and Ahmed Patel, Sonia's political secretary decided to explore all options to resolve the Parliament impasse. Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, given charge of telecom, was also summoned to the meeting.

DISCOUNTING the possibility of government agreeing to a JPC, sources said the party stand on the issue will be revealed after gauging the BJP mood. To this end, Mukherjee would discuss the matter with Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj on Friday. "I don't think that the party will agree to a JPC," a senior leader who attended the hour-long meeting said.

Earlier, Parliament was abuzz with the speculation that the Congress was ready for a JPC with a caveat - the panel would investigate the telecom saga from 1998 to discuss the role of BJP ministers (late Pramod Mahajan and Arun Shourie) in the 2G spectrum allocation. There was also speculation that the DMK chief M. Karunanidhi may also rethink his opposition to a JPC.

However, sources said senior core group members told the meeting that giving in to JPC was fraught with danger as it would lead to the Opposition clamouring for a similar probe on every issue.

The BJP wants a JPC to cover both the Adarsh Housing Society and the Commonwealth Games scams.

In its bid to turn the tables on the BJP, the Congress demanded an inquiry against Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, alleging that he allotted land to his son, son-in-law and daughter. Karnataka Congress MPs sat holding placards and raised slogans against Yeddyurappa, demanding he step down in the wake of controversy.

Tewari said the BJP had no right to "lecture the nation" on morality when its chief minister has indulged in corrupt practices. If the Congress continues to reject the Opposition's JPC demand, the parliamentary impasse is expected to continue for a sixth day on Friday.

Decoding the house probe panel

What is a JPC?

- A joint parliamentary committee or JPC is the country's most powerful probe panel since it is formed by Parliament for a special purpose. A JPC consists of MPs from both Houses in proportion to the representation of parties in Parliament with its chairman from the ruling party. Its brief depends on the motion adopted by the Houses. It can summon almost anyone in the country, including investigating agencies, ministers and bureaucrats

Why is the government opposed to it?

- No government instantly agrees to a JPC after the Opposition demands it. Ceding the demand would be an indirect admission of guilt. In the 2G scam, the Centre has argued there is no need for a JPC because the public accounts committee (PAC) will discuss the CAG report. The Centre wants to avoid a situation where the JPC summons the PM and senior ministers

Why is the Opposition sticking to demand?

- With the Supreme Court's comments against the PM, the Opposition's demand has gained strength. The Opposition claims only a JPC can probe the scam as various ministries and the PMO was dragged into the matter by A. Raja. The Opposition feels a JPC would make many more of the Centre's skeletons tumble out

How is the PAC different from a JPC?

- PAC is a permanent committee which looks at the accounts, especially CAG reports. Though it can go beyond the reports, its activities are limited on the account of govt departments and ministries. A JPC is an ad-hoc committee and can act as per a specific motion adopted in Parliament

Past instances

(Four recent examples of JPC probes)

Bofors

Headed by: B. Shankaranand Findings: Failed to get a result Action taken: None